Honorable James Mwandha, Disability Rights Activist, has died

I have received the shocking news from Uganda of the Death of Honorable James Mwandha. He has been suffering from Post Polio syndromes and Pressure. The World Disability Movement has lost an Asset. May his soul rest in eternal peace. I kindly request One Minute of Silence in recognition of the work done by Mr James.

Personally Mr Mwandha inspired me and he always welcomed My ideal of inclusion of youth with disabilities in the development programs.We shared the same name and he used to tell me in workshops that work hard to impact the world.

From 1989 to 2006 Mr James served as a Member of Parliament in Uganda, representing People with Disabilities. In Parliament he belonged to several Parliamentary Committees some of which he Chaired.

He was instrumental in initiating legislation for the protection of rights of Disabled Persons in Parliament. He was leader of Uganda’s delegation to the United Nations (UN) Ad Hoc Committee on the Convention on the Rights and Dignity of People with Disabilities from 2002 to 2006. He was a member of a group of Parliamentarians and ex-Parliamentarians who contributed to the compilation of the Handbook for Parliamentarians on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities published by the inter Parliamentary Union.

At the time of his death,Mr Mwandha has been the Chairman of the Commonwealth Disabled Peoples Forum (CDPF) made up of Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs) in the 53 Commonwealth Countries to advocate for the rights of Disabled Persons and promote the ratification and implementation of the Convention.

In Uganda, Mr. Mwandha has been the Chairman of the National Steering Committee on the implementation of the African Decade for People with Disabilities 2000-2009 and Chairman of the Uganda National Action on Physical Disability, a National DPO in Uganda and actively engaged in disability rights advocacy in Uganda.